Ep. 1: Seek the Warriors
is the first episode of Choujin Sentai Jetman. This opening episode begins setting up multiple storylines while starting the story; as well as having the unusual approach of granting the powers of all five Sentai Rangers, but only introducing three: air force officer Ryu Tendo (Red Hawk), rich heiress Kaori Rokumeikan (White Swan) and young farmer Raita Ooishi (Yellow Owl). Synopsis An experiment to make heroes with the power of Birdonic Waves goes wrong with the arrival of the Dimensional War Party Vyram, forcing Ryu Tendo (the only successful subject) to track down the four who were accidentally struck to become the Jetman alongside him! Plot In the year 199X, the group known as Sky Force watches over the Earth and brings peace to the planet by way of their orbiting satellite known as the Earth Ship. Suddenly, a distress signal is emitted from Point QR77 of a robot on the rampage. Arriving at the scene are Sky Forcer W6 (Ryu Tendo) & W3 (Rie Aoi), both of whom are dispatched to deal with the robot. A mother nearly loses her baby at the scene and Rie saves it while informing Ryu to stop the robot. Driving towards the machine on his motor bike, Ryu is shot at multiple times, yet the shots make a back explosion which forces Ryu flying and allows for him to disable the machine. Though Ryu is hurt, Rie sees Ryu is safe and kisses him on the cheek for his success. Back on the Earth Ship, everyone commends Ryu and Rie's success just as the commander, Commander Aya Odagiri, approaches. Asking about the two, Odagari finds out about Ryu and Rie; upon which she asks for their information to potentially use them as part of "Project J". Later, Odagiri informs the duo about Project J: the exposure of Ryu and Rie to "Birdonic Waves" to turn them into the Choujin Sentai, giving them superhuman abilities. The intent of the project is that once the Choujin Sentai Jetman are formed, Earth's peace will be guaranteed forever. Rie worries about strange mutations by Birdonic exposure, but the commander states that if they're brave, then it will all work out. Ryu is merely worried about staying together with Rie after they become Jetmen, which Odagiri compliments; stating that they will always be together as a five-man team. The two seem happy but the commander cuts off their own flirtations with each other. Yet as the experiment prepares to proceed, a castle known as the Vylock begins it's approach from another dimension, waiting to attack. With the experiment ready, Commander Odagiri sets up the Force Down, the device to transfer the Birdonic Waves to it's new users. Ryu Tendo is chosen to be the first to partake in the power, which surrounds him within the chair beneath the Force Down. Ryu screams out from the pain, forcing Rie to try and stop the process, but Odagiri keeps the process going believing it will work. Ryu's mind sees various images as he tries to bare with the Birdonic process until it shuts down. Yet as it does, an energy from the Vylock outside the ship begins to bathe the Earth Ship. Everyone is overcome as a strange blue-skinned man in a helmet appears overhead within the command center as if a hologram, declaring the new invaders as the ones who "control" all living creatures on this planet as if Gods. The hologram appears throughout the planet, appearing in the sky, on mirrors, even in drinkable goods! It is witnessed by all sort of people, including a farmer and a rich woman playing koto. In order to demonstrate their power, the mysterious being Radiguet declares they will destroy the Earth Ship in one minute's time. In order to stop them, the Sky Force send out their Earth Birders, but the Vylock emits energy that attacks the Earth Ship, causing explosions throughout the facility. In the midst of trying to escape, a tear in the station rips open, dragging Rie out as she tries to escape with Ryu and Odagiri. Despite Ryu's best attempts to save her life, he can't hold on for long enough and the Sky Force female flies right into space to her death before an airlock seals the rupture. Ryu frantically tries enters a depression to save Rie, but Odagari pulls him away seeing their safety as more important than a lost soldier. With no other choice, the commander punches out Ryu and drags him to the Jet Hawk to safety. As they leave, the Force Down device collapses, the energy rippling through the Earth Ship as the commander flies herself and Ryu to safety. Four other energy blasts of Birdonic Waves rupture out of the Earth Ship as it explodes, flying towards Tokyo and zapping four other random humans, including the farmer and koto-playing woman, as well as a man on a motorcycle and a high school girl. The Vyram continue to torment humanity by releasing an insectoid creature upon them. Meanwhile, Ryu and Commander Odagiri arrive at Sky Camp, a Sky Force base on Earth set up to be Jetman's headquarters. As Ryu comes to, all he can think about is finding Rie, but the commander tries to cool his franticness by advising him that she's gone, killed by the Vyram attack. Ryu cries his heart out but Odagiri tells him to keep doing so in order to get it out of him before fighting the Vyram. Ryu feels the helplessness of the situation with the fall of the Earth Ship, but Odagiri grabs his wrist and places his Cross Changer on it, telling him that he's now Jetman and must use this power to fight and stop the Vyram. Knowing that the other four Jetman are out there, the commander orders Ryu to help her find them. As they begin their search, the Dimension Bug begins it's attack, eating people where they stand making it's abdomen protrusion grow in size. Commander Odagiri and Ryu approach their first Jetman by way of a radar kept by the commander, approaching the mansion of the female debutante. Surprised that she is now a member of "Gentleman", the commander and Ryu try to convince her to join their squad, though still with Rie on his mind. The debutante, Kaori, decides to join thinking that this is a way to escape from her boring life. However the third member, the farmer Raita, wants nothing to do with the battle due to having nothing to do with him. Even when told he's now in it due to the Birdonic Waves, Raita says he didn't ask for this and wants to be left to his farming. Even when the commander tries to convince him, Raita continues to state he rather be left to farming and left alone. Seeing how stubborn he is, Kaori decides to be the one to convince Raita to join the team while the others search for their remaining members. Appealing to his skills as a vegetable farmer and even eating a raw cucumber with him, the debutante applies the charm to try and win Raita over to their side. Yet suddenly without warning, the Vyram appear near Raita's farm, where Radiguet releases minions known as Grinam which start ruining his fields. Overwhelmed, Kaori contacts Ryu to assist them, leading both to return to Sky Camp and for Ryu to use Jet Hawk to fly to their rescue. The Grinam and the Dimensional Bug prepare to attack until Ryu shoots them from the sky, jumping out of his jet and transforming with his Cross Changer into his Jetman suit, becoming Red Hawk. While fighting the Grinam, he forces a Cross Changer onto Raita, forcing him and Kaori to become Jetman alongside him. Without warning a tentacle flies out and the Dimension Bug appears from behind a dimensional wall capturing Ryu. Cornered, the Grinam shoot at Kaori and Raita, making them fall off a cliff towards potential doom. Seeing them plummet to their death, Ryu tells them to activate the Cross Changer. The duo do so and transform into their own Jetman forms, Kaori becoming White Swan and Raita becoming Yellow Owl. Raita plummets to the ground due to Kaori letting go of his hand, forcing them to help him out due to not really being as physical as the others. The Grinam continue to attack, with Raita peeved due to the Vyram destroying his farm. Ryu slashes the mooks with the Bringer Sword while Kaori and Raita have a harder time than him due to their inexperience in combat, forcing Red Hawk to handle them until they vanish. The Dimensional Bug returns, attacking them until Ryu shoots them with his laser and ultimately stabs it with the Bringer Sword. Angry at the actions of the new heroes, Radiguet cuts open a dimensional door, allowing the Dimensional Bug to escape. With how worn down the heroes are, the Commander worries that the team won't be complete and the battle won't be handled until the remaining Jetman are found. Back on the Vylock, Radiguet contemplates who the Jetman are as he's approached by other members: a cloaked boy named Tran and a silver robot named Gray. Tran remarks the battle will be "fun" as they are approached by a fourth member: a female in white named Maria. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Guest Cast *Jiiya: *Commander: *Rie Aoi: Songs *'OP': Choujin Sentai Jetman *'ED': Kokoro wa Tamago Notes *Although they do not truly become Jetman in this episode, Ako Hayasaka and Gai Yuki both appear in this episode and are hit by the Birdonic Waves. They will be recruited for the team next episode. **Neither Ako or Gai are seen from the front in this episode, only from the back when they are hit by the Birdonic Waves; nor are they revealed in the next episode preview outside in Jetman costumes. **Gai does appear prior to getting hit with Birdonic Waves, as the man drinking the coffee Radiguet appears in. Thus, Ako is the only one of the Jetman who is not seen in the front prior to or after getting hit by Birdonic waves. *Although the opening narration states that the series takes place in "199X", a video monitor seen by Odagiri when Ryu and Rie stop the robot states the date "December 23rd, 1990", thus keeping the series aligned roughly with the time it was made. But in Rie's tombstone in episode 22, the year of Rie's "death" is 1991. **Since the video occurred prior to the Birdonic experiment, some time may have passed from Ryu and Rie's recruitment and the day of the Vyram invasion. *First appearance of Ryu Tendo, Gai Yuki, Kaori Rokumeikan, Raita Oishi, Commander Aya Odagiri, Jiya, Rie Aoi, Back Dimensional Count Radiguet, Tran, Grey, Maria, Earth Ship, Sky Camp and Jet Hawk. DVD Releases *''Choujin Sentai Jetman'' Volume 1 features episodes 1-10.http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/jetman.html *The complete Jetman series was released in North America by Shout! Factory on September 25th, 2018. References Category:Choujin Sentai Jetman Category:Sentai episodes Category:Season Premieres Category:Written by Toshiki Inoue